Have you ever woken up in the morning and felt like a kangaroo has been kicking your jaw while you slept?  (It can happen.)  Has your spouse ever compared your grinding at night to two pieces of flint and steel being rubbed together in an effort to make a spark?  More often times than not, a kangaroo will not kick you in the face, and fortunately, teeth that grind together will not start a fire.  However, if you do feel soreness in your jaw when you wake up, or start the day with frequent headaches, you may be clenching and grinding while you sleep.  This is called bruxism.

Per the Colgate Dental and Oral Health Resource Center, Bruxism is — the grinding and clenching of teeth. Bruxism can cause teeth to become painful or loose, and sometimes parts of the teeth are literally ground away. Eventually, bruxism can destroy the surrounding bone and gum tissue. It can also lead to problems involving the jaw joint, such as temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ).  Bruxism can be caused by a variety of factors, such as, stress, genetics, certain medications, and the mis-alignment of teeth and the way they bite together. 

How do I know if I Have Bruxism?

For many people, bruxism is an unconscious habit. They may not even realize they’re doing it until someone comments that they make a horrible grinding sound while sleeping. For others, a routine dental checkup is when they discover their teeth are worn or their tooth enamel is fractured.

Other potential signs of bruxism include aching in the face, head and neck. Your dentist can make an accurate diagnosis and determine if the source of facial pain is a result from bruxism.

How is Bruxism Treated?

The appropriate treatment for you will depend on what is causing the problem. By asking careful questions and thoroughly examining your teeth, your dentist can help you determine the potential source of your bruxism. Based on the amount of tooth damage and its likely cause, your dentist may suggest:

ü      Wearing an appliance while sleeping — custom-made by your dentist to fit your teeth, the appliance slips over the upper teeth and protects them from grinding against the lower teeth. While an appliance is a good way to manage bruxism, it is not a cure.

ü      Finding ways to relax — Because everyday stress seems to be a major cause of bruxism, anything that reduces stress can help — listening to music, reading a book, taking a walk or a warm bath.  Also, applying a warm, wet washcloth to the side of your face can help relax muscles sore from clenching.

ü      Reducing the “high spots” of one or more teeth to even your bite — an abnormal bite, one in which teeth do not fit well together, may also be corrected with new fillings, crowns or orthodontics.

The next time you visit your dentist, and have experienced some or all of these symptoms, ask to see if an appliance could be made to help reduce the symptoms of bruxism.  Save yourself the pain from grinding, clenching, which may cause headaches – and remember, none of us want to receive visits from a kick-boxing kangaroo!